Our team

James Thompson - General Manager
Swans have loomed large during James's time with Classic Lodges! He joined us in October 2010 as Operations Manager at our hotel in Harrogate, The Old Swan, and became General Manager at The White Swan in September 2012. One of James’s passions is great quality food and wine and, with his team of chefs and front of house staff, has been building on the Hotel's reputation as a destination for food lovers. People now come from all over to eat at the Hotel. Outside of work James is an avid fan of all things on four wheels...

Diane Barrett - Group Coordinator
Diane is responsible for handling all our group bookings at the hotel, and has been with us for 20 years.  During that time she has built up a fantastic amount of contacts who still return to the hotel to this day.  Diane has been instrumental in bringing groups from all around the world since our recent refurbishment. 
 
Charlotte Kidd - Conference and Events Coordinator
Charlotte has three loves in her life weddings, expensive handbags and finally her cute little boy Romeo.  Charlotte studied event management in London and has returned to Northumberland to settle down with her young son, who she has already put to work as a pageboy modelling at one of our recent wedding open days.  Charlotte has recently been promoted from her senior shift leader role at reception to handling all our many happy bride and grooms. 

Lynne Bailey - Head Housekeeper
Lynne runs one of the busiest departments within the hotel and has a great bunch of girls who are always smiling and chatting to our guests.  Otherwise know to us all in the hotel as our “Judith Chalmers” Lynne loves her sun holidays and has been known to squeeze in a few sun beds now and again if she doesn’t get away at least once every four months somewhere tropical.   

Stephen Spencer – Assistant Manager
When Stephen is not busy 'souping' up his little car or dressed as Batman, he is busy loading accommodation rates and dealing with all our customer comment cards and many letters of thanks and praise.  He loves different coloured pens, and saying the word inventory as many times as he can in one sentence.  Very hard working, Stephen has worked his way up the ladder from a junior receptionist role to his current position.  He assists the General Manager with the management of the operation of the hotel and the revenue management of the hotel.  Stephen is the proud winner of the Classic Lodges 'Rising Star Award in 2011'. If you see him out in a nightclub do tell him to go home early please!

Lee Campbell – Head Chef
Lee hails from Aberdeen in Scotland, and is an honoury member of the 'Russian Vodka Experts in the Hospitality Trade'.  Lee was the 2010 North East Chef of the Year and is currently changing all our menu’s to help promote local suppliers, local is best!  He is a family man with three children awaiting him when he finally gets home at the end of the weekend.  Lee can often be seen showing his skills at various food demonstrations in the region and proudly supports numerous charitable causes.  His favourite band is even a local one, The Happy Cats.

Jannick Genouw - Food and Beverage Manager
Jannick originally hails from Bruges in Belgium but has lived here in the UK for as long as he can remember.  Affectionately referred to by us all as 'Jannick from Alnwick', he is responsible for the entire food and beverage operation in the hotel. A very keen family man, he can be found chatting to guests (in several languages) in and around both our Hardy’s Bistro and the Olympic Suite.  His knowledge of food and beverage is infectious and indeed entertaining.